Men's Water Polo

Water Polo Hosts Invitational to Open Season

Sep 08, 2009

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.- The MIT men's water polo team welcomed some of
the top teams from around the country to its annual Invitational
Tournament at the Zesiger Center Pool over the weekend. The
Engineers dropped all four of their games in the tournament, losing
to the University of Redlands, Pacific, St. Francis and
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Devin Lewis was the high scorer for Tech,
totaling five goals over the four contests.

The Cardinal and Grey (0-4) opened the 2009 campaign against
University of Redlands on Saturday morning. After falling behind,
3-2, in the first period, MIT managed to come back and tie the
score at four entering the half. Tech held a 6-5 lead entering the
final frame before surrendering three more goals to drop the 8-6
decision. Lewis led the way with three goals while goalie Columbus
Leonard made seven saves in net.

The Engineers would lose their next two games of the day,
falling to Pacific, 15-3, and St. Francis, 18-3. Brian Gardiner
recorded a pair of scores and had two steals against the Tigers.
Freshman goalies Matt Hohenberger and Kevin Hsiue saw their first
action in net for parts of both games. Hohenberger stopped a total
of five shots while surrendering six goals and Hsiue made three
saves against seven goals against.

Hoping to salvage one win out of the opening weekend, MIT
returned to the Zesiger Pool Sunday to face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
The hosts opened up an early 3-2 lead that they would carry into
the half, as both teams locked in defensively. However, the
Engineers were unable to hold on, getting outscored 6-1 over the
final 14 minutes, to fall 8-4. Mark Artz was a factor in every MIT
goal, scoring three times and assisting on another. Leonard made 15
saves in the losing effort.

MIT will look to rebound at the Princeton University
Invitational next weekend. The Engineers open up with Santa Clara
on Friday, September 11 at 7:45 p.m. before taking on Bucknell and
Johns Hopkins on Saturday. They then finish up the weekend slate
against George Washington on Sunday morning.